Visitors rest at a self-help tea house in Jiulonghu town in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. [Photo/zhxww.net]

Jiulonghu town in Ningbo, Zhejiang province recently renovated an unused lumber room into a self-service tea house to serve as a place for visitors to Jiulong Lake to rest.

Jiulong Lake is popular among visitors, runners and cyclists. The tea house is located on the ring road around the lake. People can scan a code to enter the house, where they can make their own tea and buy drinks and snacks.

The tea house features fresh ingredients from the town in which it is locate. The water comes from the nearby drinking spring Longyan Spring, and the tea leaves offered at the tea house are produced at local tea gardens.

"It used to be a lumber room. We noticed that it is located near the Longyan Spring, where many people collect water. That's why we transformed it into a space for visitors to rest and enjoy a cup of tea," said an official of the Tourism Office of Jiulonghu town.

The town plans to build four more self-service tea houses, and villagers will also participate in the development of new tourism projects, such as tea-picking and tea-making.